When you think Christmas movies you think of How the Grinch stole Christmas (both the Jim Carey live action and the original Dr. Seuss cartoon), A Christmas Story, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, The Ref, Home Alone Franchise, Nightmare Before Christmas etc. A lot of Christmas movies tend to be classics despite difference in opinion among audiences because they are remembered for some type of charm. The Family Stone, however, is the most bizarre Christmas movie I’d ever seen.
The cast of The Family Stone had huge names behind it such as Diane Keaton, Rachel McAdams Luke Wilson, and Dermont Mulroney. The premise is “An uptight businesswoman accompanies her boyfriend to his outgoing family’s annual Christmas celebration and finds that she’s a fish out of water in their free-spirited way of life.” So, with iconic cast members and a solid premise what went wrong The Family Stone? The answer is simply the execution.
The premise if the significant other trying to fit in with their partner’s family the most famous troupe in romantic comedies. Meet The Parents is a fantastic example of who this troupe is done. Because Greg Focker is attempting to impress his soon to be fiancée’s family and everything goes wrong in a comical way but that the same time audiences are rooting for Greg to win Pam’s family over. This premise worked because Greg was likable and it was clear Jack, Pam’s father, would come around. The awkward but likable partner aspect was ignored for The Family Stone and as a result Sarah Jessica Parker’s character was insufferable.
Her introduction to the family was awkward and not in that comical way where you get a little secondhand embarrassment for the partner and feel bad for them. Later at dinner the family was gathered at the dinner table and Sybil Stone (Diane Keaton), the matriarch of the family, made a joke about how it would’ve been easier for her sons to be gay because they’d never leave her. Meredith Morton (Sarah Jessica Parker) got offended and asked why she would want gay children which not only made the dinner scene tense and awkward but may have also been offensive to gay audiences. Meredith was later complaining that the family hated her (gee I wonder why), and we find out Sybil Stone has cancer and dying.
Everett wanted to give Merdith Sybil’s ring, but Sybil wouldn’t let him because she doesn’t believe Meredith is right for him. Meanwhile Amy and Meredith don’t get along which will be important to Amy’s side story later. Meredith also does this awkward gesture, which was likely meant to be sweet, but it was weird all around. She finds a photo of sybil pregnant and gave the family the photos because she though Sybil was pregnant with Everett, but it turned out she was pregnant with Amy. It’s supposed to be an emotional moment for Amy and Sybil, but I honestly don’t get what was supposed to happening there. So now Amy and Meredith are fine right? Nope, Meredith has to take one final jab at Amy later.
Everett’s ex-girlfriend Julie eventually shows up to Christmas. Ironically, it’s Meredith who invites her (because who wouldn’t want their future fiancé’s ex-girlfriend around at Christmas)? Though this backfires on Meredith because Julie and Everett are reconnecting, meanwhile Meredith is falling for Ben Stone, Everett’s brother in a plot line that feels ridiculously forced. During this time Meredith also invites Amy’s ex-boyfriend to Christmas and Sybil comes around to Meredith and is about to give Everett the ring.
Christmas comes and it’s as much of a disaster as expected. Everett tries the ring on Julie’s finger and Meredith sees this and runs out crying. Everett later goes to talk to Meredith about the ring, and she blurts out no to the proposal and when Everett tells her he wasn’t going to propose to her she runs away crying (again). In the end, Sybil Stone died and they are reunited for next Christmas: Everett with Julie, Meredith with Ben, and Amy with her ex-boyfriend (it’s implied they got back together at the end).
This review was a little all over the place, but it truly reflects the style of the movie. Most of the characters were extremely unlikable, so when rough situations occurred, I didn’t feel sympathy for anyone. Nothing makes sense and a lot of the plot lines feel forced. I remember the bizarre parts but at the same time feel like I can’t remember much of this movie.
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